• South Africa declares national disaster after deadly floods and storms

• Severe weather kills dozens, damages homes, infrastructure across provinces

• Regional floods highlight southern Africa’s climate vulnerability

South Africa declared a national state of disaster on Sunday, Jan. 18, after authorities assessed the impact of severe weather that has hit the country since late November 2025.

In Africa’s most industrialised nation, heavy rain, strong winds, thunderstorms and flooding struck Limpopo, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape and North West provinces, causing deaths and widespread damage.

The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) said the classification was issued by Elias Sithole, head of the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC).

“This extreme weather resulted in loss of life, significant damage to infrastructure and property, environmental degradation, the displacement of communities, disruptions to schooling and agricultural activities, and closures in parts of the Kruger National Park,” the department said.

Mpumalanga recorded 20 deaths and damage to more than 1,300 homes, roads and public infrastructure facilities, while Limpopo reported 18 deaths, authorities said.

“Following the classification, according to Section 26, in conjunction with Section 23 of the Disaster Management Act, the National Executive takes on the primary responsibility for coordinating and managing the National Disaster,” the statement said. “All organs of State across the three spheres of government are required to strengthen support to disaster management structures, implement contingency measures, submit progress reports to the NDMC, and ensure a coordinated, multi-sectoral approach to prevention, mitigation, relief and rehabilitation.”

Mozambique and Zimbabwe have also been hit by heavy rainfall for several weeks. In Mozambique, the Institute for Disaster Management and Risk Reduction said 103 people have died since the end of last year during an exceptionally intense rainy season.

In Zimbabwe, the National Disaster Management Agency said storms and flooding have killed 70 people since the beginning of the year and destroyed more than 1,000 homes. The latest episodes underscore the region’s vulnerability to the effects of climate change.

Southern Africa is highly exposed to the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), a periodic warming of the Pacific, and its cold phase, La Niña. The return of El Niño in July 2023 affected more than 20 million people in Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi.

A Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report published in November 2025 said the region lost 7.6% of its agricultural GDP between 1991 and 2023 due to natural disasters and climate-related hazards.

Espoir Olodo